More than 6,000 villagers fled the region around Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung as the once-dormant volcano began billowing steam, rocks, and fiery ash into nearby villages. Sunday’s eruption was the second in recent memory from the 8,530-foot-tall volcano, which exploded in 2010 after being quiet for centuries. Here, an Indonesian student sweeps volcanic ash from her school’s hallway.
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A woman and her daughter flee their home as Mount Sinabung erupts. At least 6,000 people have been evacuated and are sheltering in seven locations.
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Pigeons fly by the smoking mountain.
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Villagers keep their faces covered as they leave their homes, riding motorcycles on a road coated in volcanic ash.
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Villagers protect their faces from ash. While no injuries or damage has been reported, local officials have set up a health command post.
Locals board a truck leaving town. Flights were initially delayed, but soon returned to normal.
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Schoolchildren attend class with faces covered.
Mount Sinabung looms in the background as a villager rides his cow cart in Karo, Indonesia.
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Villagers take what they can hold and wait to be evacuated.
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On Tuesday the smoke still reached high into the sky as children looked on and snapped photos.
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Evacuees pack the shelters, sleeping in cramped piles on the floor.
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And daily life goes on as normal. Locals tend to the rice fields even as the threatening mountain looms.
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